Members of Men’s Basketball Read to Bear Path Kindergarten Students

HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team recently enjoyed a trip to Bear Path Elementary School as part of QU's Positive Play Initiative, designed to encourage community service by Quinnipiac's student-athletes, coaches and staff. Bobcat coaches and players met with kindergarten students for story time and to answer any questions that the youngsters had.

"It was a pleasure for our student-athletes to read for the youngsters at the Bear Path Elementary School in Hamden," said head coach Tom Moore. "We really enjoyed our time there as positive role models for these young learners. Our players enjoy any opportunity they can get to positively impact the youth of the Greater New Haven area. We'd like to thank all the administrators and faculty at Bear Path Elementary who helped arrange this special day."

The athletes broke up into groups of three or four and visited three different classrooms at the school. The players each took turns reading a story to the students and showed them the pictures along the way. After that, children began asking the players questions about their favorite things to do, food to eat and activities to participate in. The players also discussed the importance of doing well in school and staying active to be healthy.

"The kids at Bear Path were a lot of fun to be around," said junior power forward Ike Azotam. "It's awesome to see how much the kids look up to us and how excited they get to see us. We really enjoy making trips to these local schools."

The students and staff of Bear Path School strive to create a positive learning environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Students are specifically recognized for being respectful, responsible, safe, making excellent effort, having perfect attendance, and receiving district and civic awards. In addition, each marking period one student from each class is recognized by classmates to be a role model. Students are invested in the Positive Paw program and strive to be recognized for their achievements.

The Quinnipiac men's basketball team will enjoy some time off over the summer before returning to campus in preparation for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign. Quinnipiac officially becomes a member of the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in July.

Please refer to the Official Website of Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for the latest news and events pertaining to the men's basketball program. When finalized, the 2013-14 Men's Basketball Schedule will be available for download at www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com for all mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads, as well as all desktop computers.